Slothouber & Graatsma

1918-2007; 1925-2017

artist name
After an architectural training Jan Slothouber (1918 – 2007) and William Graatsma (1925-2017) worked as architects / designers from 1955 for the Dutch State Mines (DSM). Here they designed the packing, product applications, advertisements and exhibitions and gave the company a recognizable face.
Almost accidentally Slothouber and Graatsma entered the world of the visual arts. The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam asked them to make the exhibition with the title Vier kanten: maat, vorm, kleur, letter (Four Sides: Size, Shape, Colour, Letter). After that they founded the Centre for Cubic Constructions (CCC). Several fascinating presentations folowed, among that in the Art & Project gallery in 1968 and the Dutch presentation at the The Venice Biennial in 1970.